The Managing Director, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, Mr. Seidu Muhammed, has revealed that the Kaduna refinery has resumed production after it had been shut down in the last three months.
The MD, Seidu Muhammed disclosed that the refinery was back in full operations after it recently shut down as a result of lack of supply caused by the repair of the pipeline pumping crude to the plant.
Muhammed said, “We are producing now. We resumed last week around Tuesday or Wednesday. Since then, we have continued progressively, bringing in one unit after the other. We had to repair the pipeline pumping crude and the repair work commenced on the line between Escravos and Warri, there was crude oil supply from Warri for the refinery”.
Muhammed explained, “As a result of the lack of the line between Warri and Kaduna, that (supply of crude oil) could not have been done. And that is why we shut down the refinery in September. That pipeline has been repaired and as we speak right now, crude is flowing to Kaduna from Warri. We expect the PPMC to start loading and trucking PMS (Premium Motor Spirit or petrol) from tomorrow (Tuesday). Loading and trucking of PMS is not our responsibility.”
The Kaduna refinery, which was inaugurated in 1980, has a capacity of 110,000 barrels per day and this is a welcome development as the country hopes to overcome the incessant crisis plaguing the oil sector and the availability of the products.
The three other refineries in the nation’s situated in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt had resumed production of refined petroleum products in July after undergoing rehabilitation, but they were shut down in August, September and October, respectively.
